


A Beautiful Mess

by rrattboyy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Iwaizumi Hajime is a Good Friend, M/M, Making Out, Minor Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, POV Matsukawa Issei, Pining, Recreational Drug Use, Shotgunning, Underage Smoking, VERY briefly mentioned homophobia in the beginning, Well - Freeform, but really he's just stupid, matsukawa is in denial for a bit, more tags to be added? idk, technically all of seijoh is there for practice but only some actually say anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26067301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rrattboyy/pseuds/rrattboyy
Summary: My self indulgent Stoner!Matsuhana fic ft. gay disasters Issei and Iwa. Yes, I abuse the term "strawberry blonde" but it's a good song and a better description for Makki's hair. The tags are a better summary than this I'm sorry.alternative title from my google doc: domesticated gay crisis; a grisis, if you will
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime & Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 102





	1. You Owe Me

_ There is no such thing as partial beauty  _

_ because everything is beautiful  _

_ no matter which side you're looking at. _

**_-Anthony T. Hincks_ **

How true could that possibly be? There have to be things void of beauty. Of course, there are dark things that hold more beauty than anything, but there are definitely things devoid of it completely. Issei leaned back in his chair with a frown, staring at the ceiling as he temporarily abandoned his report for probably the seventh time that afternoon. What was the ugliest thing that’s ever happened in his life? He wrinkled his nose unhappily at one of the first memories that came to mind. The messy sobbing in his room the day that Inari Fudo, the middle school homophobe in Matsukawa’s class, had caught wind that he was gay. He couldn’t begin to imagine a single ounce of beauty in a prepubescent Issei, sobbing into his ratty gray pajama hoodie with pain thrumming throughout his body. His head pounding, his eyes sore and tired, his nails in his palms, the tightening in his chest with every cry, and the pure self hatred searing under his skin. What sick fuck could find beauty in that?

Issei sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes to shove the memory away. That was then. At the moment, he needed to finish this damn philosophy report. Modern American philosophers were boring enough on their own, he didn’t need to add another miserable trip down memory lane - he’d had enough of that for one night. Matsukawa scrolled down on the website to the next set of grossly optimistic quotes.

_ The heavens.  _

_ On and in the Earth.  _

_ In every single organism.  _

_ Even in the rocks themselves and especially in our hearts. _

_ So celebrate a raindrop's love today by going out and getting wet. _

**-Anthony T. Hincks**

Issei didn’t even feel guilty at the surprised laugh he let out upon reading the last line. It was a childish innuendo, with the exact right amount of stupid to save his evening. It didn’t take long to screenshot the quote and open up the messages app.

**_You 8:45 PM_ **

_ [ Image Attachment ] _

_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) _

**_Cream Puff 🍓 8:46 PM_ **

_ Matsukawa I will pay you two thousand yen in hand to read that quote in watanabe’s class tomorrow. _

**_You 8:46 PM_ **

_ and to think i was gonna offer to do it for free _

_ get GOT mf you gonna owe me 2000 yen _

**_Cream Puff 🍓 8:46 PM_ **

_ god damnit i walked into that one huh _

_ would u accept 2000 in friendship and pot _

**_You 8:47 PM_ **

_ is that even a question _

_ duh _

_ my place after school? _

**_Cream Puff 🍓 8:47 PM_ **

_ ⁽ˇ́ ˙̫ ˇ̀ _ _ ❀ _ _ ⁾ _

Issei smiled at his screen, shaking his head to himself at his friend’s known ability to wiggle out of called bluffs. Then again, it might just be with him. Iwaizumi is right in teasing him for how transparently he’d stop the earth on its axis for Makki. Why wouldn’t he? Makki was… perfect, and he deserved the world. So yeah, if Issei could help give it to him, he wasn’t going to hesitate. The thought sent a sickly sweet taste to his head, and the boy scoffed as he forced himself to refocus on his notes. That worked for a while, willpower and his own procrastination necessitating his efficiency. Until of course, a familiar topic dragged his mind off track.

_ Without the sun I am cold. _

_ Without your smile I am lost. _

**-Anthony T. Hincks**

Man, this Anthony T. Hincks really knew how to get into his head, huh? He’d almost finished his outline, too! Issei shut his eyes in annoyance as a familiar, distracting, dazzling smile flashed in front of them. A smile as bright as the sun itself, paired with strawberry cream colored hair. God, that hair was stupid. Issei felt his own smile appear at the thought. It may have been stupid, but that god awful hair is part of what made Makki- well, Makki. The tired highschooler stared at the quote again with a sigh. He’d be okay getting lost in Hanamaki’s smile. Without it though… Shit, Issei knew better than to indulge that train of thought. He pushed the notion away before pulling his phone out again.

**_You 10:16 PM_ **

_ Hajimee _

_ help plss _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 10:25 PM_ **

_ Again. _

**_You 10:25 PM_ **

_ stfu its not my fault im doing a report on an expert in love and keep getting distracted  _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 10:28 PM_ **

_ It is your fault, you chose the class. _

_ Plus, it’s still not a reason for me to sufer over the fact that you fell for such a dumbass. _

_ *suffer _

**_You 10:29 PM_ **

_ you’re DEFINITELY not allowed to say that _

_ you fucking hypocrite _

_ read 10:32 _

**_You 10:33 PM_ **

_ youre an absolute coward, mr iwa chan~ _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 10:34 PM_ **

_ Shut the fuck up. _

_ What do you want from me. _

**_You 10:34 PM_ **

_ emotional support, hajime _

_ and for u to stop acting all high and mighty when it comes to icky feels _

_ read 10:36 _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 10:45 PM_ **

_ What happened? To start your regularly scheduled spiralling, I mean. _

**_You 10:47 PM_ **

_ it’s just his stupid fucking smile _

_ and stupid ugly hair and his stupid gorgeous LAUGH that makes my whole chest heat up and he’s stupis and so am i and WHY IS HE NOT GAY _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 10:49 PM_ **

_ Jesus Christ, I forgot how fucking far gone you are. _

_ Also, do you seriously think he’s not into guys? _

**_You 10:50 PM_ **

_ you clearly don’t interact with enough straight boys _

_ being excessively gay is straight boy culture bro _

_ plus ik he likes girls,, and i dont wanna get my hopes up by giving myself a chance >:/ _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 10:52_ **

_ I understand that tbh. As stupid as it sounds, I still don’t know about Oikawa. _

_ Anyways before you have a chance to shame me about that, I’m going to go to bed. Finish your report, and sleep, dumbass. _

__ Matsukawa did send several mocking texts to Iwaizumi about his judgement and infatuation with the captain of their volleyball team, but knew they wouldn’t be read until the morning. His friend was right, after all. He needed to finish his notes for his report, and get some amount of sleep at least. Sometimes he really hated that morning practices were even a thing.

  
  
  


**_____________________ **

“Hey daddy!” Makki called out, making a distracted Iwaizumi’s head shoot straight up. Upon realizing that the crude nickname was called out by his friend, the boy rolled his eyes with a groan. 

“You know, one of these days, a teacher’s gonna hear you saying that shit,” he scoffed, relaxing back into the wall of Aoba Johsai. Makki and Issei both dropped down by his side, lunches in hand, a moment later. Glancing around the almost empty courtyard, Matsukawa raised his eyebrows doubtfully.

“That’d be impressive,” he remarked sarcastically, earning a laugh from Makki. “Plus, what are they gonna do if they do hear? Lose their jobs by getting mad about two dudes being bros?” Issei hummed, opening his bento as he glanced at Iwaizumi. As expected, Makki cut in before the boy could respond.

“They might-” he paused to gasp for dramatic effect- “ _ judge _ him.” At Iwaizumi’s deadpanned, angry look in their direction, the strawberry blonde cackled, bringing Issei’s chuckle out along with it. Makki’s nicknames weren’t even close to being a new thing. Makki began to open up his own lunch when their angry friend stood up, walked two feet forward, and sat down again. Both boys against the wall gave Iwaizumi the same confused look, but he just scowled.

“I’m tired of looking at only your stupid face,” he explained, pointing an accusatory finger in Makki’s direction, making Matsukawa burst out laughing this time.

“Aw, I knew you loved me, Hajime!” he swooned, blowing an invisible kiss towards his spiky teammate. Iwaizumi just leveled a glare back at Issei, the usual, angry vein becoming apparent against his temple.

“Looking at one of you is a hundred percent stupid. Looking at both of you is fifty percent...” he attempted to explain, pausing in thought halfway through before throwing his head back in frustration as his friends began to laugh at him again. “Yeah, no that’s still a hundred, I know-”

“Iwa-, you gotta stop stealing our stupid,” Makki wheezed out, bracing against Issei’s shoulder in an attempt to steady himself. Matsukawa just leaned back into him, laughing until there were tears on both of their faces.

Only a few moments later, a familiar head of perfectly styled hair bounced across the courtyard behind Iwaizumi. In one smooth motion, Oikawa crouched down enough to drape himself over Iwaizumi's back, resting his head on the boy's shoulder with a grin.

"Did ya miss me?" he lilted in an all-too-Oikawa fashion. Issei paid no mind to his captain's greeting though. His eyes focused in on the red beginning to bloom across Iwaizumi's cheeks. Apparently, Makki had made the same observation, but either didn't understand the meaning behind those flushed cheeks, or decided to be a good friend and come up with an excuse for them. If the badly suppressed smirk he sported beforehand was anything to go off of, it was probably the latter.

"You better watch it, Oikawa, he's gonna boil over if you piss him off much more," he teased, sharing a glance with Matsukawa to confirm that he wasn't alone in noticing their spiker's blush.

"Oh c'mon Makki, you know Iwa-chan loves me!" Oikawa laughed, narrowly dodging the hand that came towards his face moments later. "Fine, Fine! I'm going soon anyways, I just wanted to say hello," the boy pouted, giving Iwaizumi space finally as he stood up. "I need to print a paper at the library. You're still gonna come with me later though, right Iwa-chan?" Makki and Issei's mocking eyebrows rose as a set in Iwaizumi's direction, only to be pointedly ignored.

"Yes, now go print your paper, dumbass," the boy under scrutiny responded gruffly, turning his attention back to his lunch. Oikawa smiled brightly, waving to the pair against the wall and saying goodbye before jogging off to the library.

“ _ You’re still gonna come with me, right Iwa-chan? As my big strong date? _ ” Makki imitated Oikawa in a high pitched tone once their captain was out of earshot, batting his eyelashes at Iwaizumi with a pout. At this point, the boy’s ever-reddening cheeks probably were partially from anger, but that’d never stopped his friends before. 

“ _ Maybe you’ll accompany me home, and stay for dinner, maybe give me a kiss under the moonlight? _ ” Issei teased in a similar fashion, grinning across their lunches at the brightly flushing spiker glowering at him. Makki laughed loudly, swiftly bringing warmth to Matsukawa’s own chest. He was a pretty subtle person, but Iwaizumi was far too in tune to his thoughts to miss the lingering in his sideways glance towards Makki. The glare being sent his way was shifting closer to ‘ _ you’re just as bad as me, why am I the one with public suffering? _ ’ Issei simply smirked over at his friend before starting up once again. “What’s wrong, Iwa-chan, getting a little hot under the collar thinking about our dear captain?” Issei teased, raising an innocent eyebrow at Iwaizumi. Makki fell into laughter once again, doubled over his stomach as he gasped for air.

“When you wife him, are you gonna take his name? ‘Cause having two Oikawas around sounds horrific,” he jabbed once he had enough air in his lungs to do so.

“God, you’re both fucking morons!” Iwaizumi groaned, giving up on his lunch in favor of raking his hands over his glowing face. Makki cackled loudly once again, sneaking a potsticker from Issei’s bento while he assumed the boy was distracted.

“Says you, mister ‘fifty times two is better than a hundred’,” Matsukawa pointed out, ignoring the theft of his food to grab his waterbottle from his bag. 

“Don’t listen to him babe, he’s just jealous because he wants what we have,” Makki teased, grinning over at Iwaizumi. The endearing pet name didn’t really catch Issei off guard, that was usual. What wasn’t completely expected -although with Makki, it probably should have been- was the boy dramatically laying himself across Matsukawa’s legs. And not moving. Iwaizumi managed to contain the smirk Issei  _ knew _ was brewing just under the surface, thank god for that.

“Yeah, totally. You two are all I want in my life-” Iwa gestured at the pair, his deadan gaze and tone never wavering, even with the smug tinge to the eye contact he held with Issei- “what more could I want than being smoke buddies with Oikawa?” Okay, so maybe that one hurt. Issei was doing a good job at holding himself together as he unfolded his legs, since Makki didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving his lap. Smoke buddies. That’s all they were. Well, no, that’s a dumb thing to say, because obviously they were friends, they had been for years. But they never really got.. Close. They’d helped each other through some intense times, but neither had gotten sentimental or mushy about it. There’s supposed to be something unspoken there, but aren’t you supposed to sort of know what an unspoken thing is? Issei had no fucking clue. His phone went off at his side, and Makki reached over to hand it to him without sitting up. At this point, the boy was distracted on his own phone, so Issei just relaxed into the wall slightly with a deep breath. He wasn’t blushing, he was better than that. That doesn’t mean focusing was an easy task.

**_Hedgehog Fucker 12:35 PM_ **

_ You’re spacing out big time. _

Issei shot him a sarcastic smile, one which was more like a grimace objectively, and practically wrote out the words ‘ _ no shit _ ’ in the air between them. After rolling his eyes, he typed out a response, trying (and failing) not to spare a glance at the head in his lap.

**_You 12:36 PM_ **

_ wow, sherlock howd you deduce that one _

_ ive also got a makki in my lap _

_ tf am i supposed to do here _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 12:36 PM_ **

_ The only thing you can do _

_ Focus real hard and pray your dick doesn’t betray you. _

**_You 12:36 PM_ **

_ shut the FUCK up asshole _

_ so that’s what goes through your head when oikawa cuddles up to ur dumbass? _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 12:36 PM_ **

_ I’m just saying, his head’s in your LAP dude. _

_ Think of how unfortunate that would be. _

_ read 12:36 _

Issei glared vehemently over at Iwaizumi, only breaking their eye contact to glance down at Makki stealing another of his potstickers. Once again, Matsukawa pointedly pretended not to notice as he occupied himself with his phone once again. What he did notice, however, was not only Iwaizumi’s blatant eye roll in the pair’s direction, but also a small, victorious grin dancing on Makki’s lips as he quickly ate the snack.

**_You 12:39 PM_ **

_ HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS _

_ HaJIME I SWEAR IM GNNA DIE HES GONNA KILL ME _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 12:40 PM_ **

_ Bet you want to play with his hair. _

**_You 12:40 PM_ **

_ IWAIZUMI ISWEAR TO GOD  _

_ YOU ARE THR WORST FRIEND _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 12:41 PM_ **

_ I love you too Issei. _

  
  


**_____________________ **

“... _ and especially in our hearts. So celebrate a raindrop's love today by going out and getting wet. _ ” Issei looked up from his notecard at Makki with a smirk. Most of the class had some reaction or another, be it rolling their eyes or snickering quietly to themselves, but he really couldn’t care less about them, the real reward was how hard Makki had to work to suppress a laugh, and the smile hidden behind his hand. Issei grinned before going on to explain the importance and meaning of the quote, going in depth in metaphors especially as usual. Looking down at his last notecard, he bit his cheek lightly. This one was a bit of a gamble, but he needed one more quote to fulfill the assignment properly. He took a subtle deep breath before looking back up at the class. “ _ You can count friends on fingers, but you count love in hearts.  _ Anthony Hincks said this without much room for debate, in theory. But what about those who hold their heart in their hands? And what about fingers crossed, since their hearts are for each other. Do you have to balance your heart on only a few fingers? Worse yet, what if a finger is designated to hold your heart all on its own?” Matsukawa hummed, presenting the question to his mostly baffled peers. There was silence for a few moments, before a quiet girl in the front row raised her hand. Issei nodded for her to speak, genuinely curious of what answer she could have for his hypothetical dilemma.

“Well, if it’s really love, you won’t be holding your heart on your own,” she said gently, looking a little bashful under Matsukawa’s surprisingly engaged gaze, “You’ll have someone else to hold your heart for you.” Issei took a moment to process her point, glancing at Makki for a moment to receive a confused shrug that made him chuckle. 

As he wrapped up his presentation and took his seat again, Issei thought a little harder about his classmate’s addition to his dilemma. Does Makki know he’s the one holding Issei’s heart? No, of course not, but he trusts the boy nonetheless, that he won’t be careless or drop it. God, Matsukawa got way too wrapped up in that stupid metaphor. He turned his attention to the front of the room, where Makki was ordering his notecards as he began to read off a presentation that was just as rushed as Issei’s own, if not moreso. Unsurprisingly, he wouldn’t remember a word of what the presentation itself was about, but he’d memorize the way Makki’s eyes shut when he laughed at his own jokes, and the messy way his uniform sat on his shoulders, and the way his hair was strewn in probably seven different directions. Fuck, Hajime was right, Issei really wanted to play with his hair.

When Makki walked home with Issei that day, the taller boy couldn't help but thank God it was Tuesday. As much as he loved volleyball, the one day they didn't have practice each week was probably his favorite. Of course, those Tuesdays were almost always spent with his favorite wing spiker and nobody else, so maybe it wasn’t practice that was at fault. He’d rather think less about the fact that his favorite day of the week was dictated by having stupid fuzzy feelings for his friend, whatever they were. Issei busied himself with undoing his tie, stopping to fold that and his blazer over his bookbag, tucked neatly next to himself on one side so they wouldn’t fall. Fuck that blazer. Makki laughed beside him, and that was when Issei realized he’d been glaring at a coat for the past several seconds (not that he hadn’t been caught doing it before).

“Shut up, you know how I feel about that thing,” he grumbled, forcing himself not to look over as Makki undid the top four buttons on his uniform. 

“I said nothing man,” the boy chuckled before nudging Issei in the direction of a sweet shop at the side of the street. “That way, you’re paying,” Makki ordered, his eyes already on the pastry counter. It was Issei’s turn to muffle a laugh this time seeing the borderline feral look that took over his friend’s face at the sight of profiteroles behind the glass in front of them. He grabbed some gummi candies for himself before stepping up to the counter, wallet in hand. Once the pastry box was safely paid for and in Makki’s grasp, they made their ways down the street to the Matsukawa household.

Shutting the door to his bedroom, Issei dropped his bag on his desk before sitting down beside it with a sigh. Makki, on the other hand, practically dove onto the bed after shedding his own (and carefully setting his box on the floor where it wouldn’t be damaged of course). The groan that came from somewhere within Issei’s pillow made him laugh.

“Was today really that bad?” He hummed, raising an eyebrow as he fished a gummi frog out of his book bag. Makki rolled onto his back with a dramatic sigh.

“Not all of today. Just psyche,” he grumbled, practically pouting over at Issei. “I need to keep my grade up, but I forgot about that damned presentation until last night. I know for a fact you did too, so how the fuck can you make such a deep and organized presentation in the same amount of time?!”

“I’m just a deep guy, what can I say?” Issei grinned, leaning back into his chair. “Plus, I’m not the one who chose Maynard Adams to do my report on. Hincks at least sticks to one topic, and didn’t come up on the first google search result of ‘modern american philosophers’,” he teased, barely catching the pillow that was promptly flung across the room at him.

“Baaaabe, don’t be so mean to me, I’m worried about my grades,” Makki whined, not even moving to stop the pillow hitting him in the face a moment later. He laughed behind it, tucking it behind his head again before tutting his disapproval. There was that damn laugh again. It really was going to be Issei’s cause of death. He knew he heard that laugh all the time, but it was never enough. There were still so many days when Makki was angry, or sad, or just generally in a shit mood. He deserved to have something to make it go away. A very selfish part of Issei’s subconscious supplied that he should be that something. Shoving that thought aside, he focused back in on the once again rambling boy in his bed. Looking so relaxed and happy, calling him babe and laughing that gorgeous laugh, how on Earth could Makki not understand the chaos he was causing in Matsukawa’s head? There was a specific layer of tension that he held out in public, and it just seemed to melt away when he got to Issei’s room. That notion alone made warmth blossom in the boy’s chest. God, he wished he could bully himself in that moment, he was acting fucking pathetic. Luckily, he had an out when Makki sat up, finally finished with whatever tangent he had previously been on. “You wanna go out to the treehouse?” he hummed, a mischievous glint in his hazel eyes indicating that he wanted to do a little more than enjoy their hideout in the woods as he grabbed his bag. Issei grinned back, grabbing a lighter and his bag of gummies before following the strawberry blonde from his room.


	2. Realizations An Unexpected Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you can probably tell from the chapter title Iwa manages to knock some sense into Issei in this chapter, plus-- Seijoh practice!! I love my boys. I'm also bad as hell at summaries so here's an excerpt I'm new at this sorry
> 
> [ "Nice outfit," he teased gently, trying to let his friend know that the boy's fashion crimes were the only offense to Issei. Not that he minded, honestly. Seeing Hanamaki in a big grey Hello Kitty tee, sneakers, and blue boxers was something he wouldn't want to forget any time soon. If he didn't look so timid, it would have been adorable. The little smile he got in return for his comment was all Issei needed. "Come on in man, I was just making Udon," he hummed, stepping aside to let Makki inside. "How are you not freezing?" ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> peep me projecting Hard™ onto Issei's smoking habits,,,,, he's living my dreams y'all

After a cozy afternoon of getting high and eating far too much sugar for disciplined volleyball players, Issei and Makki walked down the street together in a comfortable quiet. The street was finally being bathed in a soft sunset gold by the time they reached Makki’s house, making his pink hair practically glow in the cooling air.

“Check my eyes?” he hummed, starting their familiar routine. Issei turned, staring at his friend’s eyes for a moment before opening his arms. The only way for two people to smell each other without feeling weird was in a hug, and that wasn’t up for debate. Without hesitation, Makki stepped forward, wrapping himself tightly around the taller boy before burying his head in Issei’s shoulder. They both took a deep breath, holding on for just a moment before stepping back with a pair of smiles.

“You’re all good,” Issei hummed, double checking the collar of his shirt with a sniff as Makki laughed softly.

“You don’t look or smell any more like a pothead than usual, trust me,” he chuckled, moving forward up the steps to his house with a small wave.

“Shut up, it doesn’t hurt to be careful,” Issei hummed back, returning the wave. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promised, watching Makki disappear inside before starting the walk back to his own house.

[ [ playlist imbed ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ijPh5jrVBYjZcaP0emS51) ]

Sitting down at his computer, Issei checked the little clock in the corner. Considering he’d gotten his notes done, he had some more time to fuck around in his precious free time. The page of research on Anthony Hincks was still open from his project. He scrolled down briefly just to see how much of the article was available and went unused thanks to Issei’s wording and laziness. It wasn’t much, and he ended up scrolling into the comments on accident. He huffed amusedly as he skimmed a few, finding mostly lovesick teenagers rambling about their problems and middle aged women talking about their commitment to their husbands. Eventually, a more unique comment came up, linking a playlist that ‘ _ other enthusiasts of love poetry _ ’ may enjoy. Why not give it a shot? Issei hooked up the speaker next to his bed and hit shuffle. It looked to be mostly old, American jazz songs. As the gentle swung drumbeat and brass backgrounds began to fill the room, he flopped back onto his bed with a sigh, shutting his eyes for a moment and letting himself relax. His bed smelled like Makki. The notion sent a warmth through Issei’s face and chest, but he steered his mind away from thinking about the comfort the smell brought him.

**_You 7:44 PM_ **

_ is your date with oikawa over _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 7:46 PM_ **

_ IT’S NOT A DATE _

_ He just wanted company while he waiting for Takeru’s practice to end _

**_You 7:46 PM_ **

_ so you were only an escort? _

_ so demeaning, hajime _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 7:47 PM_ **

_ Didn’t you literally just spend all day with Hanamaki? _

**_You 7:48 PM_ **

_ yeah bc were homies and he owed me money so he brought some ‘stuff’ for us to do instead _

_ ;) _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 7:48 PM_ **

_ You’re both disappointments. _

_ When are you even planning on asking your “homie” out? _

_ Or are you just going to pine over him your whole life until one of you gets killed _

Issei set his phone down on his chest, staring at the ceiling with a frown pursing his lips. He hadn’t actually gotten as far as to think about doing something with all this. He just thought Makki was cute, that’s all it had to be. Hajime had used the word ‘crush’ time and time again, but Issei had just been praying that it wouldn’t go that far if he rationalized it right. He’s gay, and he had attractive friends, it’s not that weird to think of Makki that way, right? Then again, if they were just talking about looks, Iwaizumi was the hottest of any of his friends, and Oikawa was known for being sickeningly cute, but he hadn't daydreamed about playing with their hair, holding their hands, or cuddling with either of them. With love dripping through the bars of jazz floating through his room, things were beginning to click into place in a way that Issei didn't quite like. To prove his theory, he shut his eyes, letting his mind drift to the strawberry blonde in question. Issei wanted to run his fingers through that hair and cup his beautiful face, kiss every inch of him, and fall asleep together. Fuck, of course that wasn't something you thought about your friends just because you're gay. Why did he have to be so stupid about this stuff? Alright, it wasn't idiocy, it was probably just denial, but still.

**_Hedgehog Fucker 7:52 PM_ **

_ Shit did I kill you? _

**_You 7:57 PM_ **

_ stfu i just got distracted _

_ what about you, are you never gonna tell your childhood friend that youre in love with him _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 7:57 PM_ **

_ I'm not in love with Tooru, and I'll work on it if you talk to me. _

Oh god, those are never good words to hear. Issei could feel himself tensing up, but with a deep breath forced himself to relax. This was Hajime, not his mom. Iwaizumi never has an ill intent. He just wanted to talk, it's never anything more. Issei sighed, beginning to type out his response as he chewed on his lip. He was really lucky his best friend was so honest and blunt. He'd be lost without Hajime.

**_You 8:01 PM_ **

_ i have a crush on Hanamaki _

_ and i really dont want to _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 8:02 PM_ **

_ Why not? Don't you think something really good could _

_ come out of it? _

**_You 8:04 PM_ **

_ funny idk if it's just me but _

_ i can't think of the vast list of glorious benefits that come from constantly wanting to make out and cuddle with your straight friend _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 8:04 PM_ **

_ About that _

_ I may have brought the topic up to Oikawa… _

**_You 8:04 PM_ **

_ you did WHAT now _

**_Hedgehog Fucker 8:05 PM_ **

_ They're close, I thought he might know!! _

_ Apparently he's pretty comfortably bi, and (in Oikawa's words) "anyone that can't see that is a dense idiot" _

**_You 8:05 PM_ **

_ i swear to GOD if you told him i like makki, youre officially the worst simp in history and I'm leaving forever _

**_Hedgehog Simp 8:05 PM_ **

_ I didn't! _

_ He might know though, you know how well he knows his team. _

Issei sat up on his bed for a moment before bowing his head forward into his hands. The last thing he needed was for Oikawa to be onto him. Grabbing his phone, Issei briefly thought that he must be a masochist before pulling up a picture he'd taken of Makki in the first few days of spring. He was laughing at the base of a cherry blossom tree, his face lit dramatically from the afternoon sun. Issei couldn't even remember what made his friend laugh that day, but it didn't really matter. The picture made his chest warm, and reminded him of what to look forward to tomorrow. Fuck, tomorrow. Issei still had math homework to do. He quickly pulled Hajime's contact back up and pressed call. After only a few rings, his friend picked up.

"I need help with my math homework. Also, you're right," Issei hummed in lieu of a greeting before grabbing his book bag from the desk and putting Iwaizumi on speaker.

"What am I right about exactly? Also, what the hell are you listening to in your free time, Matsukawa?" the boy responded, making Issei roll his eyes to himself.

"Don't judge me because I'm cultured," he scoffed, pausing the playlist nonetheless. "And you're right about something, because I think I should talk to Makki."

  
  


**_____________________ **

  
  


For the airhead that he was, Oikawa was a good captain. He’d set up the gym for working in groups, and pairs within said groups. Iwaizumi and Issei stood side by side across from a pair of their kouhai, a basket of volleyballs between them.

“How much you wanna bet there’s gonna be fists in this practice?” Issei hummed, raising his eyebrows and gesturing over to where Kyoutani stood across from their captain. Kindaichi muffled a laugh, but Hajime seemed to be considering it seriously.

“Thousand yen a fight breaks out within the first fifteen minutes,” he claimed confidently, grabbing a volleyball. Watari, who was there to help critique receives all down the underclassmen side of the net, watched the conversation with curiosity.

“I’ll take you on that, Iwaizumi-senpai,” Kunimi spoke up quietly, surprising the rest of his group. “What? With Yahaba there, I don’t think Oikawa will lose that much control, especially with a net between them,” he pointed out, gesturing for Matsukawa to give him something to receive. Issei chuckled as he grabbed a ball, nudging Hajime before hitting the ball straight at Kunimi.

“He’s got ya there, you better have the money ready,” he chuckled, watching as his kouhai struggled with absorbing the power of the hit, just barely managing to pop the ball back up again. Iwaizumi mirrored Issei’s actions while Watari helped Kunimi with his stance and angling. After a thoughtful moment, while their teammates were distracted, he stepped closer to Issei, lowering his voice.

“I’ll give you two and a half thousand yen if you go ask hi-  _ her _ out today,” Hajime suggested, as though he’d just said what cafe Issei should go to after school, and simply messed up the name.

"You're bribing me now?" Issei asked, quirking an eyebrow over at his friend. "If I really like her, shouldn't I do it on my own?" he added, earning an eye roll from Hajime. Matsukawa didn't have a problem with the pronoun replacement, he understood that. While he was sure none of their teammates were bigots, they all knew Kindaichi was too curious for his own good, and Kunimi would feed anything he heard straight to Kindaichi. The first years were always more transparent, and Oikawa especially had no problem reading them. It's best to be safe, right?

"In theory, yes. Will you though? I have my doubts about that," Hajime scoffed, straightening as they both repeated their part of the drill to keep their kouhai busy with receives.

"That's rich, coming from you," Issei grunted, setting to himself awkwardly before spiking the ball over the net into Kunimi's awaiting stance. "Like you'll even talk to-  _ Tara _ about feelings without a gun to your head." When Watari asked for continuous receives so he could find some patterns more easily, the third years obliged, knowing he had to move to the other side of the gym soon enough. 

"Oh shut up, I told you I'm working on it! You know she'd tease me if I did," Hajime spat, using a serve to take his Oikawa-related frustrations out on the ball in Kindaichi's direction. There was distance between the pairs and the net, but the ace's whisper was beginning to rise enough to subtly catch Watari's attention. Their libero's eyes strayed briefly to Issei's with a raised eyebrow, but they soon returned to the boys he was supposed to be helping. 

Issei rolled his eyes, sending the next ball to Kunimi at an especially difficult angle before walking over to smack Hajime in the arm.

"Keep your voice down dummy. And if you really think he's gonna make fun of you for feelings  _ about _ him- fuck, her-" Issei corrected himself, wrinkling his nose in frustration. "If you really think that, why do you like her?" he finished, glaring his friend down and ignoring the curious kouhai staring at them from across the net. Hajime looked down sheepishly, chewing on his lip for a moment before a swat to the face forced him to stop. Issei retracted his hand, putting it on his hip as he willed the boy in front of him to answer. As pressing as this was, the longer Iwaizumi stalled, the longer Kindaichi would question them after practice.

"..You're right," Hajime mumbled quietly at last, straightening up and meeting Issei's gaze at last. "She'll take it seriously, or she's not worth it, and we're better off as friends," he said firmly, grasping another volleyball to finally continue their drill. Issei quietly to himself as he did the same. As if Oikawa would mock Hajime's real feelings. If that boy ever opened up to his childhood friend properly, Oikawa probably wouldn't leave his side for a week. Through the rest of practice, Kindaichi continued to stare at Iwaizumi, and as predicted, Kyoutani and Oikawa's bickering could probably be heard from outside the gym. Oikawa survived though, much to Issei's playful dismay as the third years walked home together. Hajime and Oikawa walked side by side, both chattering and listening intermittently about how their groups had done during practice.

"Do you think they'll stay this distracted? I bet we can get them to buy us food," Issei whispered to Makki beside him, who snickered in response. 

"We're almost at the store, shh or you'll blow our chance," he laughed, staying quiet behind their captain and ace through the convenience store. Makki slipped in front of the pair, and slid his and Issei's food onto the counter before getting out of the way. Oikawa was so busy chattering, he almost paid for everything on the counter, stopped only by Iwaizumi's hand on his wallet. 

"Issei, pay for your own food," he grumbled, shoving the extra items aside and sending a glare at the abnormally quiet pair behind them.

"Dammit, we were so close… Hey, why'd you assume it was my idea??" Matsukawa scoffed, paying for Makki's meat buns along with his own. The strawberry blonde laughed from beside him, and whatever explanation he had for his incredulousness disappeared from his mind. Hajime rolled his eyes, clearly thinking of ways to make fun of Issei's willingness to pay for Makki as he took their food from the counter.

"All of your plans that work come from him, and get carried out by you," he pointed out, making Oikawa laugh this time behind him. The group bickered like that until it split into pairs, leaving Hanamaki and Issei walking down the chilly street together in the dark.

"Make sure you actually eat a real dinner by the way, meat buns are not dinner," Issei hummed as they neared his house, as he did after almost every practice. Makki rolled his eyes, giving a little wave once Issei stepped up to his doorstep.

"Yes dear, I'll see you tomorrow," he called out, smiling before continuing down the street.

  
  


**_____________________ **

Issei had managed to finish eight pages of history work before making his own dinner. Of course, it was nearing two in the morning, but that wasn't really a surprise. He almost never slept a full night before school. Hajime hated that fact, but at least Issei made up for it on the weekends. Stirring the broth for his Udon, he sighed tiredly. Just because he was used to it, and knew that trying to sleep would be useless, didn't mean that he wouldn't rather be unconscious. He'd love to play some video games while he ate, but if Issei was guilty of anything, it was raging at video games. It was one of the few things that ever broke his cool facade, and usually led to loud outbursts. At two in the morning, with sleeping parents upstairs, that wouldn't go well. Just as he was contemplating getting his earbuds and listening to music while cooking, he heard a small tap from the front door. It was quiet enough to almost be covered up by the sound of his broth simmering, but it was just solid enough that Issei knew he hadn't imagined it.

Upon opening the door, he found himself face to face with a slightly shameful looking Makki. Issei hated to see that look on his face.

"Nice outfit," he teased gently, trying to let his friend know that the boy's fashion crimes were the only offense to Issei. Not that he minded, honestly. Seeing Hanamaki in a big grey Hello Kitty tee, sneakers, and blue boxers was something he wouldn't want to forget any time soon. If he didn't look so timid, it would have been adorable. The little smile he got in return for his comment was all Issei needed. "Come on in man, I was just making Udon," he hummed, stepping aside to let Makki inside. "How are you not freezing?"

"Jogged here," Hanamaki mumbled, finally shivering slightly as the night chill cooled the sweat on his skin. He stepped behind Issei until the door was shut.

"Wait here," the taller boy said gently, disappearing upstairs for a few moments before returning with a hoodie and sweatpants in hand. "You can put these on, if you want," Issei hummed, handing the clothes to Makki before leading him to the kitchen. He started another serving of udon as his friend got dressed at his side. "So… do you wanna talk about why you showed up in your underwear at two in the morning without texting after such a long practice? If not, it's really okay, I just wanna know if you want to talk about it," he hummed, stirring the noodles carefully into the broth.

Makki chewed his lip for a moment in thought, fidgeting with the sleeves of Issei's hoodie as he began. 

"My parents are arguing again, that's all. I just didn't want to be in the house listening to them yell about money anymore," he said with a frown, following Issei to the couch as he was beckoned once their udon was done. "I know I'm about to make it all worse too," Makki sighed, taking his bowl from his friend. Issei just sat and listened, nodding along as they ate and Makki vented. He was scared of what happened after graduation, and understandably so. If he didn't go to University, he had to break his parents' hearts, and if he did, he had to break their bank. The boy's parents wouldn't let him pay for higher education himself, not that he was sure he could. Issei knew he couldn't say anything to make this all better, and he hated himself for what he was going to suggest next. 

"Do you wanna go smoke? I know it won't fix things, but it might make you feel better," Issei suggested quietly, gently pushing his remaining udon around the bowl. Beside him, Makki visibly perked up.

"I forget how genius you are sometimes. I knew I kept you around for a reason," he teased, smiling over at Issei in a way that made his whole chest buzz. 

They quickly finished their noodles and cleaned their dishes, making sure to be as quiet as possible as they slipped out of Issei's house. Makki took the lead as they trotted down the familiar path through the woods beyond the yard, coming to a stop at one of Issei's favorite places; a small treehouse built at the base of a tree next to the creek (ladders seem difficult under the influence). He pulled the keys from his pocket, bouncing slightly to stay warm as he let the both of them in. Makki dropped straight onto the couch, reaching between the cushions for the second key before tossing it to Issei. 

"Bubbler, joint, or chocolates to start?" he hummed, catching the key and shutting the door in one surprisingly delicate movement. 

"Smooth," Makki commented with a chuckle, thinking over his options as Issei turned on the lantern and opened the lockbox in the floor by his feet. "Why not a bit of each?" Makki grinned, earning an eyebrow raised in his direction. "Matsukawa I've had a shitty night, c'mon," he whined in response to Issei's hesitation. From the floor, he just groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, half a chocolate, we split a joint, and I'm in charge of the bubbles. We have school tomorrow you know, dumbass," Issei schooled, grabbing a piece of chocolate and a joint before joining Makki on the couch. He split the edible in half, popping one in his mouth before handing the other over. "And don't get inpatient like last time you went all out," he grinned, elbowing his friend.

"Shut up, I swear, I thought the brownie kicked in already!" Makki groaned, making grabby hands at the joint and lighter in Issei's hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik this is a weird chapter cutoff but it's the best I could do at the time I'm sorry if this seems dull. As usual, comments make my week!! and ily'all so fuckin much if you're reading this <3


	3. Mistakes, and The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't do dumb things while you're high kids. Then don't go into denial about said things and cause a potential rift in your friendship. Be friends with Iwaizumi Hajime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fyi I listened to Crush by Allan Rayman writing the first half of the chapter I'd say just,,,, give it a listen. Anyways this is my favorite chapter, and we're almost done!! tysm for reading this far

As the pair slowly passed the joint back and forth between them, Issei had to admit, he was getting cold. The treehouse was insulated, not heated. Plus, he’d given Makki his warm hoodie. The long sleeve tee Issei was currently wearing was doing next to nothing against the chill of the woods outside. Apparently, Makki wasn’t faring too much better, and scooted closer, so his side pressed into Issei’s chest lightly.

“I’m cold,” he mumbled, tucking his knees under him slightly on the couch and turning to lean his head into the taller boy’s shoulder as he took the last drag from the joint. Issei’s hand gripped the back of the couch slightly in an attempt to ground himself before bringing it in front of Makki to pick up the bubbler from at his feet. Issei glanced over at Makki as he packed the bowl, chuckling at how intently the boy was watching his hands.

“You look like you’ve never watched me do this before,” Matsukawa laughed, nudging his friend to get his attention. Makki shook his head a bit to clear it, finally looking at Issei’s face. In the light of the lantern, his hair, eyes, and cheeks were slowly becoming the same shade of pink.

“You’re warm, I’m tired, and I’m getting ready for the chocolate boost,” he explained defensively, hiding his face grumpily in the fabric under his head. Issei paused his hands to ruffle his friend’s hair affectionately, trying not to notice how he had leaned into his hand in response. 

“‘ _Chocolate boost_ ’- you’re gonna get funny when it hits,” Issei snorted, setting the bubbler aside once it was ready to be used. When Makki started to protest from his shoulder, he tutted like a disapproving parent. “We’ll get there when the edibles kick in, I don’t want to fry you beyond repair in time for school, dude. Pace yourself,” Issei hummed, sitting back against the couch fully. Makki took this as an opportunity to snuggle up closer, beginning to rub his shaky hands together in an attempt to warm them up. Since he was usually warmer anyways, Issei reached forward and grasped both of the frigid hands in front of him in one of his own. Hanamaki hummed appreciatively, relaxing fully against Issei and shutting his eyes to fully enjoy the buzz he already had.

Makki’s hands were soft. Softer than Issei even knew a spiker’s could be. They were small, and strong, and soft, and he was holding them. Sadly, the owner of those hands interrupted his silent admiration.

“You know how hard it was to get stuck next to Mad Dog and Oikawa at practice earlier?” Makki laughed quietly from Issei’s shoulder. “I get along pretty well with Yahaba, but God, do those two get annoying,” he grumbled, making Issei laugh this time.

“Was Kunimi right about him being the only reason Oikawa lived to see another day?” he hummed in response, looking down slightly at the head of pink hair slowly drifting further into his chest.

“Pretty much. I would have sworn our dear captain was gonna lose an arm, at least,” Makki snickered, looking up finally. His eyes were a lot more red than the pink they’d been earlier, and if his unfocused gaze meant anything when paired with that lazy grin of his, it was that the edible ‘boost’ had kicked in. He looked so at peace, and seemed to be finally warming up against Issei’s side. The taller of the two reached over and grabbed the bubbler, but the moment he tried to detangle his hand from Makki’s, there was a needy whine of protest.

“What? I need to light the bowl,” Issei chuckled, glancing down at his trapped hand with a huff.

“Don’t take my hand warmer away,” Makki pleaded, squeezing Matsukawa’s hand firmly before grabbing the lighter. “Compromise, I’ll help.”

“What, am I supposed to hold it every time you take a hit?” Issei complained, allowing himself to bathe in the feeling that Makki’s unwillingness to let go of his hand provided. His mind already a bit fuzzy, he didn’t quite process his friend’s next words for several moments.

“Just shotgun it,” Makki grinned, suggesting something that would take a self control Issei wasn’t sure he had like it was something they’d done regularly

After a couple seconds of blank staring and internal panic, medically induced calm finally won the battle in Issei’s mind as he shrugged.

“Okay,” he said gently, doing everything he could to will himself into enough sobriety to keep a grip on the situation. Makki's happy smile was making it hard to think, although Issei was sure the lungful of marijuana smoke didn't help that. The strawberry blonde dropped the lighter onto the couch, choosing instead to cup Issei's jaw, and bring him much closer than he would have done himself. Matsukawa shakily exhaled into his friend's mouth, making sure every bit of smoke made the transition. He could feel every inch of his face burning, but that was nothing compared to his body's reaction to the sound Makki made moments later. A satisfied groan, mixed with the action of blowing his held smoke into Issei's face, ended up closer to a moan humming against his chest. Issei felt like his whole body was going to combust. "Was that okay?" he said quietly, praying his blush wasn't running down his neck as it felt like was.

"Yeah, you did great, babe," Makki giggled, returning his hand to its original position behind Issei's. "Take another hit, before it goes out, will you?" he pleaded gently, before having the audacity to stretch his legs out across Issei's lap, practically stopping the boy's heart. It all felt so good, so warm and comforting and it was taking everything in him not to reciprocate every one of Makki's clingy, touchy affections. 

Issei ended up having to refill the bowl, although he told himself it was time to stop. He honestly couldn't remember a time either of them had gotten this high. Not that he would have been able to focus for long enough to remember anyways. At least he'd finally started relaxing into the shotgunning. Makki's hands were plenty warm by now, but he liked it better this way, so of course that's what Issei was doing. How did he know that the boy's hands were warm? Mostly because they'd been attached to his lower torso for the last several minutes. It was a slow, comfortable repetition, so of course it was only a matter of time before it went wrong. Makki was the one guiding it, but he was also the more toasted of the two. He held Issei's face with one hand, and stopped his own a few inches too late. It wasn't a kiss, even this much pot couldn't bullshit Issei that much, but having their lips touching firmly as Makki breathed smoke into his mouth sent the taller boy's brain into a state of complete blank, a warm and happy buzzing replacing all rational thought. He could vaguely tell he'd raised an eyebrow, but everything else felt a bit out of touch.

"Oops," Makki giggled out, gently nudging Issei's face with his finger tips to keep him at attention. "Can you go a couple more?" he hummed, a lazy grin settling across his lips. Issei leaned into the touch, nodding absentmindedly. Sober, he'd probably recognize that it was a bad idea on all accounts to keep going, but he really didn't care at this point. Even with the high tolerance Issei had, he'd been dosed with a much more intense high than his friend. It was mostly because Makki had made sure he had stayed on the giving rather than receiving end of most of their shotgunning.

With the next hit, there was no perceivable hesitation when Makki pressed his lips to Issei's. This wasn't like the mistake a few minutes before. At least that shock was enough to pull Issei back to his head a bit.

"It's easier to aim that way," Hanamaki explained, smiling as a very red Issei blew smoke back in his face. 

"Alright, making out with friends is when you put the pot away," the boy mumbled in response, using one arm to steady Makki as he took the bubbler, putting it on the floor before nudging it firmly out of their reach. If only he'd been able to brace for what came next.

"We aren't making out, _yet_ at least," Makki hummed, tracing the seams of Issei's shirt as he sat back. With a less than graceful scoot and swing of his leg, the boy planted himself in Matsukawa's lap, straddling his thighs with a suggestive grin. "Do you want to?" Makki asked, an excited glimmer visible in his red eyes. Issei's whole system felt like it was trying to go into shock, but was being held down in a calm bliss. As a consequence of this, he could feel himself nod numbly once again, eyes wide and hands fidgeting with nothing to do on the couch cushion at his sides. Makki's smile grew, to the point of shutting his eyes for a moment. When he noticed Issei's hands grasping at the couch, he grabbed them gently, laying them on his own hips before leaning close to the other boy's ear. "Relax, Issei, it's just me," he purred, sending a shiver down Matsukawa's spine at the use of his given name.

"Yeah, it's you," Issei responded dumbly, giving Makki's hips a squeeze of understanding as he took a deep breath. In his lap, his friend sat up, making comforting eye contact for a moment before moving forward. 

Their next movements were slow and careful, but to Issei it all felt dizzyingly fast. Before he could process so much as the notion of Makki moving, there were lips on his own, and hands braced firmly against his chest. Practically pinned to the couch and overwhelmed by sensation, Issei didn't bother giving his situation any thought. He reciprocated, pulling his friend closer in his lap as they leaned into each other's mouths heavily. Makki was predictably the one to escalate things, introducing his tongue to the moment with enough inebriated grace to avoid scaring Issei. Not that the boy would have even been able to process more shock at this point. He was indescribably happy and warm, chest to chest and making out with his crush in the dead of night. Any cold was forgotten by now, driven out by the increasingly passionate touches and kisses being shared in the small room. Issei's hands slowly began to drag up Hanamaki's sides, dipping under his shirt and making him shiver. They carefully pulled apart for air, panting heavy and staring at each other for a moment until Makki broke the spell.

"Why've you been keeping this hidden talent from me for so long, huh 'sukawa?" he giggled, voice pitching up as he reached forward to smooth over Issei's shirt where it'd been wrinkled by his grip. Issei snorted, shaking his head and rubbing his thumbs over Makki's hip exposed hip bones.

"I did nothing to keep it out of your reach… Why'd you take so long to come 'nd get it?" Issei teased, almost having caught his breath again when Makki dragged him forward into another kiss. The hand on his jaw guided Issei against Makki's quickly reintroduced tongue, drawing a low groan from the taller boy against his mouth. Hanamaki smirked slightly into Issei's lips as he slid his hands upwards and back into dark, curly brown hair. 

Once Issei felt the little tug on his hair, he could swear he was going to melt right there. He barely noticed the embarrassingly high whine he let slip, but apparently Makki did. The boy grinned widely, pulling away slightly before raising a condescending eyebrow.

"What was that, Issei? Use your words, you big child," he tutted disapprovingly, badly suppressing his smirk in an attempt at seriousness. Issei rolled his eyes, giving Hanamaki's sides a frustrated squeeze to go with his half hearted glare.

"And how'm I supposed to pull that off with your tongue down my throat?" Issei huffed, absolutely reveling in the way Makki's cheeks darkened at the playful reprimand. He only had a moment to appreciate the view before the boy eagerly pulled their mouths together once again.

  
  


**_____________________ **

**_  
_**

When Issei finally processed the sound of Brittany Spears blasting from his phone on the floor, he was forced to open his eyes and come to terms with the warm weight on top of him. He met Makki's a few moments later, and it only took a moment to realize that not only did they make several mistakes the night before, they had to come to the realization that fuck, they were still buzzed. Hanamaki rolled off of Issei to the floor, scrambling to turn the alarm off and get away from the friend he'd violated the boundaries of the night before. Not that said friend hadn't been dreaming about the situation for an embarrassingly long time, but he didn't exactly have that knowledge yet. 

"Womanizer? Really?" Makki chuckled awkwardly, his voice raspy from both sleep and the events before it. Issei eyes widened quickly, instantly transferring a similar, albeit confused look of panic to his friend's face.

"If we already slept through Gimme More, that means we have like -" Issei paused, trying to get his fuzzy train of thought to stop derailing- "twenty minutes to get to practice." Once the confusion on Makki’s features drained away, so did the color. They both got to quick, clumsy work of putting away anything that could get them arrested before making their way through the chilly woods as fast as they could without falling or running into a tree. Panting and sweaty, Issei slid the back door open quietly, listening to make sure his mother had left for work already before dragging Makki up the stairs.

“What are you doing, I have to go home and get my shit!” the boy hissed, not reacting at all fast enough to catch the clothes thrown at his face a moment later. “What about my psych textbook?!” Makki huffed, already pulling the borrowed hoodie and oversized pajama shirt over his head. Issei mirrored the action with his pants, dragging his grey practice shorts up and scrambling to change his shirt.

“You can steal mine, I’ll catch up after school,” Matsukawa panted, pulling his Seijoh sweatpants and a black jacket on before rushing over to pack his school and practice bags and fit in whatever he could help Makki with. His friend pulled on Issei’s pants from the year before- which were still too long on him -and the teal and white team jacket that barely fit. Out of habit, Issei spoke up to remind his friend as they made their way from his room, “Grab a banana or something on the way out, Oikawa says you need to eat breakfast, and he’ll be pissed if you don’t.” In response, Makki spun on the stairs to face the boy above him and gesture frustratedly towards him.

“Of all the things wrong here, he’s gonna get mad about breakfast?!” he huffed in a pained voice, but grabbed a piece of fruit on the way out nonetheless. 

**_You 7:28 AM_ **

_fuckedup i fucked up haji i am FUCKED  
_

Issei had sent the text as he and Makki made the run to school, but he hadn’t even attempted to read the many responses he got. His head hurt, and he couldn’t think straight. If typing had proved to be that difficult, he really shouldn’t attempt reading. At least Iwaizumi couldn’t say he wasn’t warned. When both boys got to the gym doors, it took them a moment to catch their breath, and then several moments after to realize some things. First, it was silent. No squeak of shoes, no calling for a ball, no running warmups. Second, the clock on the wall said that they were several minutes late for when practice was meant to start, never mind when they were supposed to arrive. Issei looked over to find his friend’s face just as twisted with confusion as his own. A throat being cleared behind them, where there shouldn’t have been students for an hour yet, set panic in Issei’s veins for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. Or maybe his panic had just never stopped. Either way, that panic quickly morphed to fear when he turned around to see Iwaizumi and Oikawa looking at them like parents catching their children coming home at two in the morning. Hanamaki and Issei were able to share one terrified, still red-eyed glance before they were dragged off to the club and locker rooms respectively. As Issei was led by the wrist past a startled Kunimi and Kindaichi, he waved with a grin.

“Good morning boys, practice is cancelled I see,” Matsukawa stated obviously, laughing at the even more confused set of looks he received from his kouhai.

“Shut the hell up, idiot,” Hajime scolded, pushing the taller boy into the locker room roughly enough to land him on the bench. Issei knew what was coming next. Makki may have affectionately nicknamed their ace ‘Daddy,’ but he was truly a mom deep down, and the mom speech was bound to come at a time like this. As Hajime turned to the bench with crossed arms and a disappointed frown, he knew it was time already.

“Do you have any clue what a fucking idiot you are?” is how it started. 

“You show up to school fucking high, late to practice, a total mess, with your friend who’s just as fucked up. If you had run into a teacher before me, you could have gotten expelled. What the fuck were you thinking?” Hajime scolded, finally stepping forward and beginning to pull Issei’s jacket and shirt off. He didn’t even bother fighting, knowing his friend had some good reasoning for his nervous actions whether he liked them or not. “And what the fuck was with that text? You know how bad that scared me, especially when you were late?” He dropped Issei’s shirt, throwing his head back with a frustrated groan before sighing. After a moment of watching his friend try to stay focused, Hajime sat down alongside him on the bench, rubbing his own face with his palms. “You gonna tell me what the hell happened? Or were you just being stupid and careless, and letting yourself endanger your future for a better high?” he hummed, looking over at Issei before adding, “Although if that’s the case, we’re going to be having a much longer talk.” Matsukawa paused to make sure he was finished before he spoke. 

"So you know how I tease you about being whipped for Oikawa? Well it turns out, I'm officially never allowed to do that again."

After explaining Hanamaki's shitty night and need for a distraction, along with how the boy's _'distraction'_ led Issei to completely abandon his normal responsible smoking habits, Matsukawa sighed and leaned forward on his knees slightly.

"Look, I know I should feel bad, or be freaking out because I made out with one of my best friends, but like- Hajime all I can think about is how fuckin' hot it was to have _Hanamaki Takahiro_ in my lap blushing and whining and-" Issei's irreverent rambling was cut off by his friend smacking him across the head.

"I don't need to fucking know!" Iwaizumi scolded, wrinkling his nose at the mental picture. "Take off your pants, you're going to take a shower, and use some deodorant. I'll find Tooru's cologne for your uniform, 'cause I know that shit will smell too," he instructed, not leaving room for argument. Now that his head was humming with an even worse headache, Issei simply nodded, pulling his pants, socks, and shorts off before letting himself be pulled to his feet by his friend. Hajime quickly got behind him and started pushing towards the showers, only stopping to turn on the cold water. "Hopefully you'll sober up a bit, and think through what you're gonna say to Makki. Because you're _going_ to talk to him," Iwaizumi said firmly, shoving his friend into the freezing shower in his underwear. The boy laughed cruelly as Issei let out an indignant yelp. "That's what you get for scaring me, asshole. clean up, I'll come back in a half an hour if you're not out."

Matsukawa shivered under the frigid stream of water on his back, leaning into the wall of the shower miserably. At least the shock of the temperature did seem to be clearing his mind a bit. Much to Issei’s dismay, that mental clarity also came with the beginnings of the panic he had known was coming. Not that he didn’t deserve it. He made out with his fucking friend. That’s gotta be at least in the top four stupidest things someone can do without endangering themselves. It’s just logic! Don’t fucking kiss your friends! What was he supposed to do now? Issei guessed he only had a limited number of options. He could ask for Makki to never bring it up again, he could propose a friends-with-benefits type deal (which was an even stupider idea than just kissing him), or Issei could confess. Sighing, the boy realized that expressing his feelings was the only option that wouldn’t lead to Hajime being involved in his death under mysterious circumstances. Whatever plans he might have been attempting to formulate for the upcoming confrontation of emotions were rudely interrupted by the door to the shower room flying open, and two familiar voices echoing around outside of Issei’s stall.

“Oikawa wait, somebody’s in here- I’m fine, I look and smell fine!” Makki whined desperately, audibly struggling against an all too familiar shoving towards the showers. The situation would have been kind of funny, if the door to Issei’s shower didn’t fly open, followed instantly by a mostly nude Makki tripping past a shove from Oikawa behind him. When the strawberry blonde’s hands braced against Issei’s chest, he looked up at the taller boy in mortification. They stared at each other for a moment, unmoving, until Oikawa laughed from the doorway. The pair instantly stepped apart blushing, earning an eye roll from the only dry and clothed student there.

“Well, that makes my job a lot easier,” he hummed smugly. “Don’t change showers, or I’ll know, and I’ll make this more awkward later,” the captain promised before shutting the door, and the pair in their underwear glanced at each other miserably. They knew better than to think OIkawa was bluffing, especially with an angry and worried Iwaizumi backing him.

Hanamaki and Issei stood in tense silence in the shower until the door shut behind their friend, and before the taller of the two could open his mouth, Makki spoke.

“I’m so sorry,” he started, halfway breathless in an attempt to keep his resolve to continue talking. “I’m so fucking sorry for coming onto you, and getting us in this mess- fuck, I could have gotten you in so much trouble,” the boy’s voice broke as he hid his face behind his hands shamefully. Issei could feel his chest aching at the upset in his friend’s voice and face, and quickly made up his mind. He stepped forward out of the stream of the shower, gently taking Makki’s arms and pushing him into the cold water. The boy let out a similar shout of surprise to Issei’s own when he originally felt the water shock.

“Sorry man, but I need you focused and- preferably not crying for this,” Issei said guiltily, smiling weakly when Makki’s glare dimmed. His hands were still on his friend’s forearms, and he let out a deep sigh and shut his eyes as he looked down. It was just going to be easier if he didn’t have to look into his friend’s big, pitying, confused eyes. “This _really_ isn’t the way or place I wanted to do this but- shit, Hanamaki, I’ve got a crush on you, and I don’t regret kissing you in the slightest,” Issei said slowly, his voice shaky and uncertain. He didn’t pause long enough for a response before continuing. “But- just so you know,” he forced himself to look up into Makki’s eyes in an effort to express his sincerity, but regretted it once he realized he wasn’t going to be able to get a read from his friend’s shocked expression. “You can fall in love with whoever you want, it won’t matter to me. I’ll still be here. So please don’t apologise for kissing me, I enjoyed myself, and I’m always gonna be here if you want somebody to get high and make out with.” The last words came out a little rushed as Issei’s face began to heat up again, and he immediately looked down at his feet. “Shit, that was really stupid, wasn’t it?” he mumbled, letting go of Makki’s arms finally to rub his face out of embarrassment. There was quiet for a few moments, leaving Issei to wallow in the quiet sound of the water hitting the tile before he was pulled under the stream once again. What was different this time though, was that Makki hadn’t moved out of the way. They stood chest to chest for a second as Issei’s chin was tipped up, and the shorter boy snorted quietly.

“Stop talking about me loving someone else, it’s weird,” Hanamaki whispered, a little smile tugging at his lips. Issei only had an instant to process the boy’s words before he was leaning forward and kissing the brunette gently, holding Issei’s jaw with care. As they held the embrace under the stream of water, Matsukawa thought of Anthony Hincks. Maybe he was right about everything being beautiful. After all, every shitty and ugly thing he'd been through had led him here, to a moment that had more beautiful than Issei thought he'd ever experience. So yeah, maybe even crying over Inari Fudo was beautiful. It led him here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual, comments mean the world to me, and I love you <3


	4. Holding Up Both Ends of The Bargain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tiny lil conclusion bc mr. iwa-chan did indeed promise something to issei

That day at lunch, things were different. Obviously, they'd be different after all that had happened to and with Issei since the night before. His hair was still damp from the _very_ long shower he'd taken with his freshly-minted, almost-secret boyfriend that morning. As it was, Takahiro had his hand resting on the small of Issei's back as they walked across the empty courtyard towards their friends. The morning chill had mostly burned off, and while Issei thought it was a perfectly comfortable temperature, the both of them could hear Oikawa loudly whining about it against Iwaizumi's shoulder. Rolling his eyes, Matsukawa took his usual seat against the wall, raising his eyebrows as Makki quickly dropped down beside him and swung his legs over Issei's. Once his boyfriend was comfortably sat across his lap, the taller of the two leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Hajime said he'd figure out how to make a move on our beloved captain if I asked you out," he mumbled, earning a nervous gaze from Iwaizumi as he glanced over, seemingly knowing he was being talked about. Takahiro just smirked, wrapping his arms around Issei's shoulders before beginning to place gentle, slow, and _obvious_ kisses along the brunette's jaw, neck, and exposed collar.

"Text him," Makki mumbled into his skin, nipping just hard enough to earn a swat to the arm from Issei.

**_You 12:15 PM_ **

_you must b so jealous_

**_Hedgehog Simp 12:15 PM_ **

_You're disgusting._

**_You 12:15 PM_ **

_yeah but ur just fuckin dying to be this disgusting with pretty boy there_

"Makkiiiii," Oikawa whined only moments later. "Why do you have to show off so much? Yes, I know, you got a boyfriend, and you finally have some place to direct your affections," he continued, pausing to snicker as Iwaizumi coughed to cover up the word ' _hormones_ ' into his hand, "but really, it's gross and makes me feel more lonely."

**_You 12:16 PM_ **

_hajime hes LONELY_

_get ur mans_

**_Hedgehog Simp 12:17 PM_ **

_Why are you like this?_

_Just because you're happy because I happened to be right doesn't mean you have rights to force me to embarrass myself._

By the time Issei noticed Makki reaching for his phone, it was too late. The boy was already typing out a message to Iwaizumi, and now that he lost his source of things to complain about, the conversation was beginning to catch Oikawa's attention as well. Soon, the captain and middle blocker were in similar positions of peering over a shoulder at the exchange.

**_You 12:18 PM_ **

_U have to do it daddy u gotta ask him out_

_If it makes u more conifendt the mf has literally had dreams about u kissing him_

Issei and Takahiro glanced up briefly to see an oddly silent, cherry red Oikawa watching an equally flustered Iwaizumi type out a response. Sadly for them both, Makki was faster.

**_You 12:18 PM_ **

_Hey oikawa, iwaizumi is in love with u, he's just too much of a shithead to say so._

Issei had to stifle a laugh as his best friend turned around frantically, only to come face to facewith a very angry, indignant Oikawa Tooru. An Oikawa Tooru who promptly pulled his arm back and solidly punched Iwaizumi between the eyes. Takahiro and Issei sat in stunned silence, watching as Oikawa got up and began pacing, leaving the shorter of the two propped back on his elbows.

"You- You-" Oikawa struggled to find the right words, eventually settling on, "You shithead!! Do you have any clue how long I pined over you? How long I was terrified about losing our friendship because of my bullshit feelings??" Iwaizumi just stared at him, stunned by such a flow of emotion and hurt, irrational anger from his friend. After another minute of angry ranting though, Hajime's nose had begun to bleed, and once Oikawa noticed that with the watery eyes above it, he ran over, dropping to his knees. The boy searched his person for something to stop the blood flow with, but eventually came up with nothing. Eventually, he simply pulled his tie off, taking Hajime's face in his hands to force his ace to let him help. "I'm right here… I'm mad at you because you're stupid, that doesn't mean I'm going anywhere,” Oikawa said gently, placing a careful kiss to Iwaizumi's forehead and spreading a visible blush from there out.

"And I thought we were a mess," Takahiro observed dryly, leaning back into Issei.

"We _are_ a mess," Matsukawa corrected, rubbing his boyfriend's back gently. "But we're a classy mess. They're a stupid mess that thinks its smart."

Makki nodded, curling further Issei's side before mumbling, "We're a beautiful mess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading this far!!! I'm sorry for the delay with this chapter, but it's finally done!!! I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did :)


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